


false start

by jukain



Series: high towers [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Gen, Light Angst, Possibly Unrequited Love, Present Tense, Spoilers, Viera Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21977170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jukain/pseuds/jukain
Summary: he doesn't wake to a distant future, but the few years he slept was nevertheless enough to cast uncertainty on his destiny... especially where the warrior of light was concerned.a series of bite-sized moments in a time after shadowbringers where g'raha is successfully awoken on the source.DISCONTINUED
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch & Warrior of Light, G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: high towers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581997
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

g’raha first panicked thought after she punches him squarely in the face in easily the worst wake-up call he’s ever had (thus far) is: _oh gods how long do viera live again–_

she looks like she’s been through every kind of hell there is, as scarred and ragged as she is (her entire right arm! the entire limb, _gone_!), and were biggs and wedge not alongside her, the latter blubbering and sobbing openly, g’raha would have assumed he was catapulted at the very least several decades into the future. 

“it’s been seven years,” tiamat tells him patiently, bracing him upright with the same, blessedly intact hand she had just socked him with not five minutes earlier. 

he had barely gotten to stand up again and she instantly sent him sprawling back across the floor, which was quite honestly a well-deserved surprise for his rashness, he thinks. even through the throbbing pain of the strike in his jaw, g’raha is endlessly glad she is still around to be able to punch him in the first place.

“but the work done to be able to crack open this place took a couple centuries, elsewhere. … and that’s a story for another time and better explained by the one you should be thanking for waking your fool ass up this early. it was not me who is responsible for doing so.”

well that isn’t cryptic and rude at all. it seems it was not only the warrior’s appearance that was put through such horrors, and g’raha’s heart twists to think of what she had been through in such a short amount of time to inflict so much damage on her, body and mind. as for him, it felt as though it were literally yesterday that the gates closed behind him to the sounds of her enraged shrieking– oh. oh no.

tiamat gives him a moment to re-orient himself to daylight and regain his independent balance on both feet before facing him. the smile she wears is far from friendly, and in fact, the cruel upturn of her lips looks more like a grimace.

“but you and i? _oh_ , we will have _some words_ , g’raha tia.”


	2. Chapter 2

“you’ve become so calm.”

“i am not calm.”

g’raha peers up at her through his bangs, his hands stilling in the midst of their digging through his formerly abandoned belongings. noah had done their best to collect what he had left behind at camp, and stored the resulting mess with the vain hope that it would all somehow find its way back to him.

tiamat hasn’t left his side since he was awakened so prematurely, and g’raha isn’t sure if this is because she cares about him and his well being, or if she was merely assigned by the find to watch him. given her much, much colder disposition and uncomfortable, aloof patience, he (with great heartache) leans toward the latter.

“i am _far_ from calm right now. i’m only pretending to have my shit put together, actually.” her words are said in the same tone she’s used for the last few days to respond to his questions. impersonal and distant.

g’raha wilts and tries to avoid staring at her too much, since she won’t meet his gaze even if he pushes the line of what can be considered polite amounts of eye contact. this entire reunion has been nothing but one reminder of his brash choices after another, and what tragic fate the warrior of light had been left behind in to handle all alone. seven years isn’t long enough for empires to rise and fall, but it’s plenty of time to wound a person beyond any ability to heal.

sitting back on his haunches, g’raha sighs an aggravated breath and runs a trembling hand through his mussed hair. he doesn’t know what to do with his belongings, with the situation at hand, with the future he was denied (the details of which continue to elude him), with his friend– with the _warrior_ , who cannot seem to stand the sight of him.

“ah…”

the small noise barely registers to g’raha as he is well and thoroughly occupied with curling in on himself in his woes, but it is nevertheless enough for him to risk a hesitant glance upward. to his surprise, tiamat is watching him, and when she notices his attention is now on her, a flicker of hurt crosses her expression. however, instead of her immediately smothering it into a facade of composure and ignoring g’raha, she at last meets his eyes and doesn’t look away. with each passing second, her features continue to droop and fall under an unfathomable weight.

her mouth opens. closes. she swallows hard and blinks rapidly and g’raha’s eyes widen when he realizes how _barely_ she’s restraining herself from breaking down into tears.

“i’m not calm,” she says shakily, and with more raw emotion than he’s seen in several years, being generous. “i’m– i’ve never had anyone _come back_ before. i don’t know what to feel or– or what i should do. it hurts _so much_ but still i’m–”

tiamat heaves out a sob and then presses the back of her gloved hand to her eyes, as if trying to hide behind it. g’raha slowly rises to his feet.

“it hurts but i’m _so glad_ for it, and i haven’t- i’ve never felt like this before,” she weeps and aggressively scrubs her eyes, unsuccessful in stemming the flow of tears.

“is… that a good or a bad thing?” he dares to ask, keeping his tone light but otherwise struggling to retain any sort of cheeky bravado. g’raha will not easily admit how desperate he is to hear her reassurance that she doesn’t hate him.

she laughs wetly and does her best to smile at him in earnest, even through her tears. “it’s… good. it’s good to see you awake, g’raha tia.”


End file.
